Beauty And The Beast
- Available on Blu-ray on October 5, 2010
- Rated: G (General Audience)
- Studio: Walt Disney Video
- Run Time: 84 minutes
- Number of discs: 3
- Language: English
- Subtitles: French, Spanish
- ASIN: B003DZX3US
ABOUT BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
The first of only two animated films ever to be nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture (the second is 2009’s Up), Beauty and the Beast earned six Academy Award® nominations and won two Oscars® in 1992 for Best Original Song (“Beauty and the Beast”) and Best Original Score.
Unavailable in any form since 2003, Beauty and the Beast will be released from the Disney vault for a limited time only, arriving on a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (2 Blu-ray Discs + DVD) October 5, followed seven weeks later with the release of a 2-Disc standard definition DVD on November 23.
Film Synopsis:
Set in and around a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Beauty and the Beast follows the fantastic adventures of Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books. Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into a tormented beast, while transforming his servants into animated household objects. In order to remove the curse, the Beast must discover a true love who will return his affection before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. When Belle’s inventor father stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and is taken prisoner, Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father’s place. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast’s exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.
Beauty and the Beast features a cast of top vocal talent. Veteran stage actress and singer Paige O’Hara is the voice of Belle, one of Disney’s most beloved and independent heroines, and Robby Benson (TV’s “American Dreams”) delivers a powerful portrayal of the Beast. Three-time Oscar®- nominated screen star (The Manchurian Candidate in 1963, The Picture of Dorian Grey in 1946, and Gaslight in 1945) and six-time Golden Globe® award winner (TV’s “Murder, She Wrote” in 1992, 1990, 1987 and 1985, The Manchurian Candidate in 1963, and The Picture of Dorian Grey in 1946), Angela Lansbury gives a bubbly performance as Mrs. Potts. The late Jerry Orbach (TV’s “Law and Order,” “House of Mouse”) shines as the voice of Lumiere, the passionate candelabra, and David Ogden-Stiers (TV’s “M*A*S*H,” Lilo & Stitch) is Cogsworth, the tightly-wound mantel clock who functions as the head of the household.
MY THOUGHTS
Beauty And The Beast is the story of a beautiful girl named Belle, who lives with her father the inventor. Her only interest is reading. The residents of the town like her but find her a bit odd. Gaston, an arrogant single man, decides he must marry her.
One day Belle’s eccentric father encounters “Beast”, who in actuality is a prince that had been turned into an ugly beast by a witch after he treated her unkindly. A spell has been cast on the price stating that the prince had to find true love as a beast before all of the petals fell from an enchanted rose or he would remain that beast for the remainder of his life. Belle offers to take her father’s place as the Beast’s captive and remain at the castle. She befriends the residents of the castle, which are all objects such as a tea pot, cup, candelabra, clock and chest of drawers. Being a captive Belle is of course angry, so the relationship between her and Beast is not friendly. Eventually they both soften and come to care about each other. Meanwhile, Gaston is proclaiming Belle’s father to be crazy in an effort to get her to return and marry him. Belle returns and tells everyone about the Beast in an effort to convince people that her father isn’t crazy. Gaston decides they must storm the castle and kill the beast. Will they fall in love before the last petal falls? Will Gaston have everyone locked up that stands in his way? Who will marry Belle? You’ll have to watch the movie for yourself for the answers to these questions.
The Beauty and the Beast Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack has a U.S. suggested retail price of $39.99 and the 2-Disc DVD set has a U.S. suggested retail price of $29.99.
The product(s) featured in this review was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.